Marian Kočner (source: TASR)
The judge of the Specialised Criminal Court, Roman Púchovský, has dismissed the request of businessman Marián Kočner to be released from custody.
The information was first published by Zuzana Petková, head of the Stop Corruption Foundation, on August 8 and later confirmed by the Special Prosecutor’s Office, the Sme daily reported.
Why is Kočner in custody?
Kočner was taken into custody on June 28 due to concerns that he would continue in criminal activities. He is being prosecuted in three cases of economic criminality, with the most serious being the suspicion that he falsified promissory notes worth €70 million and concerning the private broadcaster TV Markíza and its then director general, Pavol Rusko.
Kočner, who has spent 41 days in custody and another three behind bars after he was detained, can challenge the decision. It would be given to the Supreme Court, which already said last month that the custody was unobjectionable, Sme wrote.
At the time, the court also considered the possibility of Kočner being released after paying bail or having an electronic bracelet. The Supreme Court said this would be possible only under special circumstances, which it has not revealed.
“Only a month has passed since the Supreme Court ruling was issued, and I see no fundamental change that would have an impact on releasing the accused person from custody,” said prosecutor Ján Šanta, as quoted by Sme.
Promissory notes missing
At the same time, it is still not clear where the originals of the promissory notes, which the police consider falsified, are stored. Kočner first gave them to the court depository. However, he took them from the depository in early May and has not returned them. He refuses to say where he put them, Sme reported.
However, he promised during one of the hearings that he would return the promissory notes in 20 days. The deadline expired on July 13, according to the daily.
